Cowboys now big boys

By Os Davis  |   Tuesday, November 21, 2006  |  Comments( 8 )

Dallas Cowboys
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A sign posted at one end of Texas Stadium read "Cowboys vs. Colts - Super Bowl Preview." After the fun-filled, edge-of-your-seat game on Sunday, it certainly would be easy to side with the Irving sign, but let's not get carried away here. Despite a relatively easy-seeming slate of games, a lot can happen before Feb. 4: Old rivals may await in the playoffs and one bad game from the QB could spell doom for the aspiring champion.

And it won't be simple for the Cowboys, either.

Finally, with only 10 weeks of the 2006 season gone, these Dallas Cowboys showed what they're capable of. Sure, the 'Pokes were the vogue upset pick of the weekend, but who forecast the display these guys put on? Peyton Manning brought in his imperfect perfect Indianapolis Colts for his first visit to the Dallas-Ft. Worth metroplex and left with a black mark on his record.

The 'Boys did everything they were supposed to, with Bill Parcells checking items off his list like a reverse Santa Claus, taking candy from the Colts at every opportunity.

Run the ball? Check: Julius Jones 22 carries for 79 yards, augmented by Marion Barber III doing what he does best, plunging forward for nine mostly short gains and two TDs.

Shut down the offense in the second half? Check: The Colts came in having outscored opponents by 49 points in the third quarter alone. Holding Manning to a 5-for-12 third-quarter performance and a 9-for-19 mark in the second half allowed the Cowboys to turn the tables on the Ponies, beating the blue and white 17-7 in the final 30 minutes.

Keep cool under pressure? Check: "Manning, Schmanning," said the Dallas secondary in covering the red-zone monsters in the fourth quarter. Manning marched the Colts with purpose to begin his team's final drive, connecting on three straight passes for 55 yards. However, the Cowboys, who last year might have thrown this game away - Anybody remember the Seattle Seahawks in Week 7 last season? - were buoyed by confidence rather than overconfidence this time out. The 'D' was also supported thanks to item No. 4.

Coaching mastery? Check: This had to have been the Dallas coaching staff's best game, encapsulated by Parcells' move to "challenge" the long fourth-quarter reception by Marvin Harrison. With essentially no chance to have the catch overturned, the Tuna was clearly using his option to burn a timeout. This took momentum away from the driving Colts' offense while allowing the Lone Star D to collect itself for the final push.

Competent quarterback? Check three times over. How good is Tony Romo, really? This dude has three NFL wins under his belt and still has "tremendous upside potential" written all over him. Completing an amazing 10-of-11 passes in the second half, Romo's stats as a starter read 93-of-124 for 1,088 yards, with 5 TDs against just two interceptions. These numbers represent a 107.8 quarterback rating (!) and a completion rate of exactly 75 (!!!) percent. Peyton who? Drew who? (Maybe even, dare we say it, "Troy who?") Romo's finding Tony Glenn, Terrell Owens, Jason Witten, Anthony Fasano, Patrick Crayton ... heck, Romo probably would have connected with Drew Pearson had Jerry Jones suited him up.

The only thing better than this win for Cowboys backers is that it comes in tandem with generous losses from potential NFC playoff teams such as the Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers, St. Louis Rams, New Orleans Saints and Seahawks. The 'Boys are now sitting pretty with the inside track on the No. 5 spot, though the tiebreakers are going the ice-cold Saints' way at present. With a must-win at the New York Giants in two weeks, these guys could well find themselves - incredible at it may seem after being a dismal 4-4 just 13 days ago - at No. 2 in the NFC.

It's a dream come true for Dallas. Or maybe it's the reality that was there all along. If only the Cowboys could do something about their kicker...

Follow the Dallas Cowboys all the way to Super Bowl XLI (okay, maybe) at RealFootball365.com.
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About Os Davis

Os Davis has taken a twisted route to get to RealFootball365.com in his nearly 17 years in professional writing, working in any number of capacities in the sportswriting, news reporting and film criticism worlds. In print media, Os has served as editor at a few publications, including Albuquerque's...
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